Community Grantees
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More Than Three Million in Grants since 1998
In May 2007, the Knoxville Affiliate hosted its annual Reception Celebration awarding $521,078 to eight distinguished Grant Recipients.
The Knoxville Affiliate would like to thank the many people involved in the Community Profile, the Community Grant Review Panel members, and volunteers who helped organize the event. A special thanks goes to all the wonderful activists who helped raise money during our Race for the Cure® - our sponsors, team leaders and individual donors.
2007-08 Community Grant Recipients
Driving to Make a Difference – Thompson Cancer Survival Center - $149,292
Driving to Make a Difference is a breast health screening and education program designed to reach high-risk populations with potentially life-saving mammography and information about breast self exam and clinical breast exams. These populations include minorities, namely Hispanics and African Americans, women living in rural areas and women with minimal financial resources and poor accessibility. A minimum of 2,500 women will be screened and 5,000 will be educated.
UT Breast Health Outreach Program – University of Tennessee Cancer Institute - $150,000
The UT Breast Health Outreach Program is a grassroots community effort with a main goal of changing breast health behavior of rural, medically underserved Appalachian and minority women. The UT BHOP has expanded its efforts to reach all underserved women in the Knoxville Affiliate service area through the increased availability and enhancement of personalized education programs and access to screening mammograms. Services are provided by a dedicated staff to women where they work, worship, gather and live, eliminating barriers such as time away from work and family. A minimum of 1,500 women will be served.
The BeST for Women of Color Project of East Tennessee – TN Department of Health - $75,250
The BeST (Breast Screening and Treatment) for Women of Color Project targets the African American and Hispanic women in Knoxville Komen Affiliate area for breast screening, diagnostic and treatment services, if necessary. Eligibility and clinical breast exams are completed at the county health office and women are referred to area providers for mammograms and other diagnostics. The goal of the project is to reach and serve these underserved populations by improving access, explaining procedures and case managing women who need further tests to rule out or confirm breast cancer. The project estimates that it will serve at least two hundred fifteen (215) women of color between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008.
Standing in the Gap – Thompson Cancer Survival Center - $49,100
Standing in the Gap is a program designed to provide supportive services to women impacted by a diagnosis of breast cancer. These services include psychosocial support to groups such as those specifically designed for the needs of young or African American survivors. The program will also provide genetic counseling and testing, and financial support to help eliminate some of the burdens associated with diagnosis and treatment.
Reducing Breast Health Disparities in Cocke, Jefferson & Surrounding Counties in East TN – Rural Medical Services, Inc. - $40,000
Rural Medical Services, Inc. (RMS) will target low-income women of all races in Cocke and Jefferson Counties and surrounding areas in East Tennessee in order to provide them with breast cancer education and outreach services. These services will include transportation for screenings and treatment as well as financial assistance for screening mammograms for low income/uninsured women between the ages of 40 and 49. A full time breast health educator/nurse case manager (BHE) will provide a minimum of one monthly breast health education class to a local church group, with an emphasis on the African American Faith community. An already established lay health promotion project will continue to provide breast health education and referral for the ever growing Hispanic community. This grant will support breast health education to a minimum of 600-1000 women in our service area, and case management services will be provided to between 150 and 200 women. RMS began its migrant health program in the mid 1980’s and is the only provider in Cocke/Jefferson counties that participates in the Tennessee Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. This project will help to reduce the breast cancer death rate in our service area which presently has the fourth highest rate in the state.
Project H.O.P.E. – Hope for Today Cancer Support Group, Inc. - $22,000
The purpose of Project H.O.P.E (Helping Oncology Patients Endure) is to help breast cancer patients endure their diagnosis with travel expense to treatment centers, physical aides (prostheses, bras etc.), utility payments, housing expense and medication as needed. Support is provided to patients currently in treatment, with a recurrence and/or advanced disease. The support group offers psychological, educational and social services for cancer patients, their families and friends at no charge
Project C.L.E.A.R. – Celebrate Life Cancer Support Group - $15,000
Celebrate Life Cancer Support Group’s Project C.L.E.A.R stands for “Celebrate Life Enriching and Renewing.” The goal of this program is to reach out to rural breast cancer patients and help them during their lowest point in battling cancer. Women are encouraged to share with other cancer patients during monthly group meetings. Celebrate Life provides financial aid in various ways including: gasoline for trips to treatment, a one time utility or rent/mortgage payment, insurance co-payment, medication and medical aids such as wigs, prostheses, walkers etc.
Return to Wellness – The Wellness Community of East Tennessee - $12,323
Because the post-treatment recovery time for breast cancer patients is a very stressful and anxiety provoking time for patients, The Wellness Community of East Tennessee will partner with the Thompson Cancer Survival Center to offer a 10 week/20 session rehabilitation program, Returning to Wellness, especially targeting African American women. The goals of the program are: to provide education about life after breast cancer treatment; help participants develop a nutrition and fitness plan; alleviate post-treatment blues; and help patients make the transition more smoothly from active treatment to the follow-up phase. This program will be available to breast cancer patients at 3 weeks and up to 24 months post-treatment, with a physician’s permission. After the 10 week program at Thompson Cancer Survival Center, patients will be invited to attend 12 sessions of the Breast Cancer Network at the Wellness Community to reinforce many of the components of wellness and to provide support group connections to the participants. As with all programs at the Wellness Community, there will be no charge to patients for the Return to Wellness program.
